The top rail for a container body is a structure that connects the container body roof to the container body side wall. The term “container body” is used herein to refer to an enclosed structure for the transportation of objects. Examples of container bodies include vehicle container bodies, such as truck container bodies, truck van bodies and tractor-trailer container bodies. While the drawings herein use a truck container body to illustrate embodiments of the invention, it should be understood that the improved top rail designs disclosed herein may be applied to a variety of other container bodies.
Using the exemplary truck body 111 of FIG. 1 as an example, top rail 100 is installed where the truck roof 101 connects to the truck side wall 103. Using a frame of reference from the perspective of the truck, the truck's length 105 extends from the front to the rear of the truck, the truck's height 107 generally extends from the wheels to the roof, and the truck's width 109 extends in a direction corresponding to a sidewall-to-sidewall direction (e.g., left to right). Thus, for a truck under normal operating conditions, as used herein, (1) the vertical dimension corresponds to the truck's height 107 (thus, the upward direction is toward the sky and the downward direction is toward the road), (2) the horizontal dimension corresponds to the truck's length 105, and (3) the lateral dimension corresponds to the truck's width 109. Thus, it can be seen that the longest dimension of the top rail 100 extends horizontally along the truck's length. A typical truck body 111 comprises two top rails 100, one on the left side and one on the right side of the truck.
FIGS. 1A, 1B and 1C depict detailed views (a side view, perspective view and cross-sectional view, respectively) of a conventional top rail 100 for a container body such as exemplary truck container body 111. Exemplary top rail 100 comprises a top lip 102, a “C”-shaped cavity channel 104, channel wall 106, channel bottom 108, and a bottom wall 110.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 1A-1C, the container body roof 101 is affixed to the top lip 102 of the top rail 100 via a plurality of rivets 113. Often, a “J”-shaped piece of metal 117 is installed over the roof 101 and top lip 102, and rivets 113 extend through the “J”-shaped piece 117, roof 101 and top lip 102 to hold the roof 101 securely in place. Also, a bottom wall 110 of the top rail is typically affixed to the side wall 103 of the container body via rivets 115, as shown in FIG. 1A. As such, it should be understood that the top rail 100 effectively interconnects the container body roof 101 and container body sidewall 103.
Top rail 100 also includes a bottom lip 108 below the top lip 102, wherein the bottom lip 108 extends laterally outward in a direction substantially perpendicular to the channel wall 106. Thus, together, the top lip 102, channel wall 106 and bottom lip 108 define an open cavity or channel 104 that extends in the horizontal direction along the length of the top rail 100. Typically, marker lights 112 are affixed to channel wall 106 inside this channel 104, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 1A-1C.
Bottom wall 110 extends downwardly from an outer portion of the bottom lip 108 in a direction substantially perpendicular to the bottom lip 108. The truck sidewall 103 is affixed to this bottom wall 110. Typically, sidewall 103 is affixed to bottom wall 110 via rivets 115.
Optionally, a plurality of support members (not shown) such as beams may extend horizontally between the truck sidewalls at spaced intervals to support the container body roof 101. Such support members would abut the upper part of the inward face of the channel wall depicted in FIGS. 1A-C. Also, optionally, a plurality of support members (not shown) such as posts may extend vertically from the bottom of the container body to the bottom face of bottom lip 108 at spaced intervals to brace the container body sidewall 103.
FIGS. 1D-1F show various exemplary prior art top rail designs in isolation (e.g. prior to installation on a container body). As shown in FIGS. 1D-1F, such top rails 100 may take various shapes and sizes. As shown in FIGS. 1B-1F, top lip 102 of the top rail 100 laterally extends in a direction substantially perpendicular to the container body sidewall 103. As shown in FIGS. 1B-1F, a portion 120 of the top lip 102 laterally extends outward from channel wall 106. Another portion 122 of the top lip 102 laterally extends inward from the channel wall 106. Container body roof 101 is typically affixed to the outward-extending portion 120 of top lip 102, as shown in FIGS. 1B and 1C. As shown in FIGS. 1E-1F, the inward-extending portion 122 may be very small relative to outward-extending portion 120. It is also possible that top lip 102 does not include an inward-extending portion 122.
As shown in FIGS. 1D-1E, top rail 100 also typically includes a roof bow support ledge 124. Typically, as explained above, a plurality of support members such as roof bow supports are used to support the container body roof 101, and roof bow support ledge 124 can further support these roof bow supports.
As shown in FIGS. 1D and 1F, top rail 100 may optionally comprise a wire guide 126. Wiring for lights 112 can be routed through the wire guide 126. As shown in FIG. 1F, top rail 100 may comprise a flange 128 that provides a groove for wiring. As shown in FIG. 1G, the marker lights 112 may comprise low-profile light emitting diode (LED) lights 112 mounted in channel 104.
Top rails are typically formed as a single piece of metal. For example, a typical top rail 100 may comprise a single piece of extruded aluminum. However, other metals could be used, for example stainless steel. Also, the top rail need not be formed from a single piece of extruded metal as top rails may optionally be formed by welding multiple pieces of metal together. Moreover, materials other than metal could be used for the top rail. For example, fiberglass or other similar materials may be used.
The inventors believe that the prior art top rail design depicted in FIGS. 1 and 1A-1G are unduly susceptible to damage, particularly with respect to damage resulting from impacts that strike the top rail 100 from above, e.g. damage from tree branch strikes. The inventors believe that this problem is especially pronounced in connection with delivery trucks because delivery trucks must often deliver cargo (e.g., packages) to residential areas. Because residential streets tend to be relatively narrow and more tree-lined than thoroughfares such as highways, tree branch strikes to the top rails of residential delivery trucks are relatively common. The top rail design shown in FIGS. 1A-1G is susceptible to denting and/or downward bending of the top lip into the channel 104 due to impacts such as tree limbs that strike the top lip at an angle. This damage to the top lip 102 can compromise the structural integrity of the truck's container body roof 101 because the bending/distortion of the top lip can cause corresponding bending/distortion in the truck's container body roof to which it is connected. Furthermore, this bending/distortion can cause one or more of the rivets 113 to come loose or become dislodged, which may compromise the integrity of the seal between the top rail and the container body roof 101. With such compromised integrity, there is an increased risk of water leaking into the container body, and water damage is of particular concern for trucks which haul goods, especially delivery trucks, because the water may cause extensive damage to the goods inside the truck container body. FIG. 1H depicts typical damage to a prior art top rail 100 that the inventors believe can occur as a result of strikes by objects against the prior art top rail. As can be seen, FIG. 1H shows that top lip 102 has been dented and bent downward due to object strikes.
Furthermore, with lights 112 such as those shown in FIGS. 1A-C and 1G placed in the open channel 104, the prior art top rail design also offers little protection for the lights 112 against a strike from an object (particularly a narrow object such as narrow portions of tree limbs), which can result in the lights being damaged or dislodged. In exemplary FIG. 1H, the lights are missing from the top rail to show that they have been sheared off by, for example, a tree branch strike.
The inventors note that the susceptibility of the prior art top rail design to these types of damage is especially problematic with respect to rentals of delivery trucks. To closely track potential damage to the rental trucks, the rental company needs to assess the top rail for damage at the start and/or conclusion of each rental. A failure to be vigilant about such inspections can lead to disputes with customers as to who is responsible for the costs to repair such damage. Thus, the rental company is placed in a position of expending its resources on closely monitoring rental truck top rails, which impacts the profitability and/or cost of the rental operation. Furthermore, upon inspection of the top rail, the rental company will not only need to decide whether any damage exists and but also decide whether such damage requires pulling that delivery truck out of the rental fleet for repair. Because the risk that damage to the top rail may compromise the water resistance of the interior of the truck's container body where goods are stored, it is often necessary to remove delivery trucks from the rental fleet for repair, which further impacts the profitability and costs for the rental operation.
It is against this backdrop that the inventors have developed an improved top rail design.
In an exemplary embodiment, the inventors herein disclose a top rail having a support structure disposed in the cavity channel to improve the ability of the top lip to resist damage caused by impacts. The term “support structure” is used herein to refer to a support block or support rail disposed at least partially in the channel of a top rail. The support structure supports and protects the top rail (especially the top lip) and the rooftop of a container body. The support structure must be sufficiently rigid to support the top rail against downward bending in response to the top rail being struck by tree limbs while in motion at typical driving speeds.
In an exemplary embodiment, the inventors herein disclose a top rail having a support block as the support structure. As used herein, the phrase “support block” refers to a block comprised of solid material. The phrase “support block” encompasses blocks having cavities or hollow portions so long as those cavities/hollow portions do not compromise the block's ability to reinforce the top rail against tree branch strikes. The solid material may comprise wood, metal, composite material (e.g. part wood and part synthetic material) or any combination of the above.
In another exemplary embodiment, the inventors herein disclose a top rail having a support rail as the support structure.
In another exemplary embodiment, the inventors herein disclose that the support structure is configured such that a portion of the support structure, when positioned in the top rail's channel, extends above the top lip.
In another exemplary embodiment, the inventors herein disclose a top rail wherein a low profile light source is used for illumination rather than the larger lights 112 of the prior art. This low profile light source may be positioned on a bottom portion of the top rail below the bottom lip, such as the bottom wall. The low profile light source may also be installed in or on the support structure. Furthermore, this low profile light source preferably comprises a plurality of LEDs. Due to the low profile nature of the light source according to these embodiments, the light source will not extend very far in the lateral direction away from the truck sidewall. The inventors believe that this reduced profile of the light source will improve its resistance to impacts that would tend to cause shearing damage to light sources with a larger profile. Preferably, this low profile light source is used in combination with the support structure within the channel such that the top rail can retain its illumination while still benefitting from the increased strength provided by the support structure within the channel.
In yet another exemplary embodiment, the inventors herein disclose a low profile light source that is installed in the immediate vicinity of one or more rivets which provide additional protection for the light source.
The inventors herein also disclose a method of improving a top rail, wherein the method comprises positioning a support structure within the open channel of the top rail and securing the support structure in position within the channel. In a retrofitting mode, this method preferably includes removing any pre-existing light source from the channel. Furthermore, this method preferably includes securing the low profile light source to the top rail.
FIGS. 1 and 1A-1H depict various prior art top rails. It will be understood throughout this application that the techniques disclosed herein for improving the damage-resistance of top rails are applicable to any of these top rail designs, as well as a wide variety of other existing or future top rail designs. While modifications may be necessary to accommodate certain aspects of specific top rail designs, the necessary modifications will be apparent upon review of this application.
These and other features and advantages of preferred embodiments of the present invention will be apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art upon review of the specification and drawings contained herein.